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When was the last time you took an entire day for yourself? Or for that matter when was the last time you took an entire hour for yourself? If it takes more than 3 seconds to answer this question perhaps it is time to work on creating a little downtime in your life.

The day I started thinking about this, the message seemed to be in everything I ran across. Many people say there are no coincidences, so with that in mind I stopped for a minute to allow the idea to slip in, rather than flying right past it, on to the next very important task that I felt must be completed.

What happened to the idea that technology was going to make our work so easy that we would have more leisure time? I think back to the time when there were no computers, no cell phones, no cable TV. I remember lazy Sundays that seemed to last forever, lying in a meadow, finding things in the clouds, dreaming, soaking in life. Pure relaxation. Pure joy. And then…the phone rings? Oh, I shake off the mist of memory and answer the phone. I have to take this call…

The blog post that made me start thinking about this is actually in a blog about writing. Ollin, one of my favorite bloggers, in this case had a guest blogger who was talking about scheduling down time http://ollinmorales.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/lackfocus/. My first reaction to this was, right…my schedule is what makes me feel like a hamster now. How is more scheduling going to help me relax? Then I realized, even God had to schedule down time. It says in the Bible, (OK, I am paraphrasing here), that God worked really hard creating the universe and everything in it and on the seventh day God rested and said it is good! Maybe that is the missing link. Maybe that is the missing puzzle piece. In order to get more done you have to also do nothing.

So what do you add to your day to create that feeling of doing nothing? Do you recharge your battery with a little meditation, or perhaps running is the thing that clears the cobwebs out of your head. Maybe you love a facial or just a great novel that takes you to a distant time and place.

Maybe the real secret is finding a way to make the things you already do into such a joy that you feel that you are doing nothing. Things like playing with the kids, cooking dinner, or just doing the dishes.

3 Responses to “Up with Down Time”

Good idea. I think the real secret of not doing anything is to not do anything. Play, relax, daydream. What is going to happen if the dirty dishes sit in the sink? Nothing! They will be there when you get around to washing them. In the meantime, dream…………..it could very well change your life.